Japan has a National Holiday called Marine Day or “Umi no hi” (海の日in Japanese) which also known as Ocean day or Sea Day. The holiday is celebrated since 1996 in Japan.
Why do Japanese celebrate Marine Day?
“Umi no hi” was established in 1941 and called Marine Memorial Day. It was made as the anniversary of the return of Meiji Emperor to Yokohama Port after his tour to Tohoku and Hokkaido regions on the steamboat “Meiji Maru” in 1876. Marine Memorial Day was not a national holiday until 1996.
More facts.
This holiday was also made to express gratitude for the sea’s blessings, honor its value, and pray for the prosperity of maritime Japan.
Nowadays the holiday is celebrated on the Third Monday of July. In past the holiday was held on July 20, however, it was changed after “Happy Monday” reforms to create long weekends from upcoming Monday holidays in Japan.
How do people celebrate this day?
Marine Day is a modern holiday and there are no traditional ceremonies on that day. The water in the ocean is still cold in July except some islands in Okinawa and south part of Japan. However, many people go to the beach with their family and friends.
All national aquariums and aqua parks organize special events, shows, and other related activities. There are a lot of sea related goods and campaigns in supermarkets, convenient stores and even in shopping malls.
This year the Marine Day is on July 18th.